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www.strategic-risk.eu [ MAY 2013 ] StrategicRISK 1Guide to executive travel

CONTENTS

SPONSORED BY

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Deputy editor Kin Ly

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Specialist Media,

please use the following:

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2 | Duty of care

Not having a travel plan in place

could be a costly mistake for fi rms

6 | Security & kidnap

North and West Africa in focus

10 | Political risk

Emerging markets present a higher

threat of political unrest

14 | Terrorism

If you can’t avoid the world’s

hot spots, at least be prepared

18 | Evacuation

How to get out of a danger zone

20 | Interruption & nat cats

You can’t prevent a nat cat; the

only protection is insurance

22 | Compliance

Careful policy choice is essential

24 | Luggage

Lost business luggage can be more

valuable than the sum of its parts

26 | Medical

Pre-travel preparation is key

30 | Executive checklist

Your top 10 tips for travelling safely

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2 StrategicRISK [ MAY 2013 ] www.strategic-risk.eu Guide to executive travel

DUTY OF CARE

W HAT ARGUMENTS SHOULD

a risk manager use with

senior management when

trying to obtain investment to construct

a proper travel plan for employees?

How can he explain why this should

be funded?

The simple answer is likely to be

because such a plan is necessary. Com-

panies have a duty of care to protect their

employees from risks.

“When a person travels on behalf of

an employer, it engenders an employer

duty of care responsibility for the health,

safety, security and well-being of that

traveller,” says Dr Lisbeth Claus, a human

resources professor at Willamette Uni-

versity, USA, and a world-renowned

specialist in the fi eld.

“When employees cross borders

– as international business travellers

assigned on expatriate assignment and

their dependents – they fi nd them-

selves in unfamiliar situations owing to

the medical, security and safety risk of

the environment.”

More than legislation This responsibility is underpinned by

the law. Declan Meighan, founder and

managing director of Maxwell Lucas, a

global provider of integrated travel risk

management services says: “A company

is duty-bound to look a� er its employees.

And never more than now with corporate

manslaughter legislation and health and

safety rules.”

However, the duty of care obligation

is not a mere legal obligation, something

that depends on the varying legislation

in diff erent countries, but it is also a

moral obligation and “the right thing to

Essential tool in the box

Risk managers o� en fi nd it hard convincing their boards of the wisdom

of proper travel plans, but not having one could be a costly mistake

»

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‘A company is duty-bound

to look a� er its employees,’

Declan Meighan

Maxwell Lucas

Through her duty-of-care Global

Benchmarking Study, Dr Lisbeth Claus

has identifi ed best practices that

leading companies, which she defi nes

as “more advanced in assuming their

duty of care obligations”, should

adopt. These are:

• Increase awareness.

• Plan with key stakeholders.

• Expand policies and procedures.

• Conduct due diligence.

• Assess risk prior to every

employee trip.

• Communicate, educate and train.

• Track travelling employees at

all times.

• Implement an employee emergency

response system.

BEST PRACTICE


DUTY OF CARE

do”, according to Claus, who believes the

consequences of not acting thoroughly

can be many and diverse, including:

• Litigation (including negligent failure

to plan).

• Costs of dealing with incidents rather

than preventing them.

• Reputational risk.

• Poor employee productivity.

• Disruption to business continuity.

“For the past fi ve years, duty of care

has been put on the radar screen of

employers, whether they are in the cor-

porate, NGOs, university or government

sectors,” Claus says. “While there is still a

great deal of work to do in terms of

awareness, employers are increasingly

becoming aware of their duty of care

responsibility and global companies are

genuinely concerned to approach this

‘For the past fi ve years,

duty of care has been

put on the radar screen

of employers’

Dr Lisbeth Claus

Willamette University

strategically and tactically – especially if

they have encountered an incident.

“Having said that, companies strug-

gle with how to implement an organisa-

tion-wide duty of care programme. It

requires senior management commit-

ment, know-how and considerable

agency cost to bring the stakeholders

together. Making implementation stick

is also tricky and a task similar to chang-

ing any management initiative any

global company undertakes.”

Board approval Put simply, the board needs to be on

board. Meighan says: “It’s hard to get

proper duty of care plans in place without

buy-in from the top. If travel risk was

looked at in the same way as fi nancial

risk, there wouldn’t be a problem, but it

»

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isn’t – at least not yet. The risk manager

and travel manager’s job is educate the

board and get them to understand that a

good travel plan is actually a business

enabler; we need to change their mind-

set. They need at least to understand

fully the costs fi nancially and in terms

of reputational damage if they fail to

cover themselves.

They must ensure they have the mini-

mum requirements covered and under-

stand that good cover can really enhance

employees’ experience. It can make them

feel safe, valued, relaxed – and able to

focus on the job they are travelling for in

the fi rst place. It can provide a sense of

well-being for employees if they have

been through proper training, giving

them confi dence – and that confi dence is

an asset for any organisation.“

The Global Benchmarking Study identi-

fi ed a dozen stakeholders. “The key ones

are senior management, security, safety,

HR and travel,” says Claus. “In large

organisations, medical is also involved.

I have repeatedly warned organisations

to avoid ‘the designated person’ responsi-

bility in duty of care, for example: ‘it is

security’s problem’. The chief executive is

ultimately responsible and should put the

team together to develop the strategy and

the implementation plan. The players,

competencies and motivation may diff er

from company to company.”

These issues are becoming increas-

ingly relevant as more and more Euro-

pean fi rms search for growth in unfamiliar

emerging markets and beyond. “Compa-

nies have been working across borders for

a while,” says Claus. “But today, they are

venturing into riskier locations as they go

beyond emerging markets into the bottom

60 countries. This is especially the case for

certain industries, such as the emergency

management industry, international

NGOs and government organisations.

“Despite an increase in virtual work,

the number of global business travellers is

still increasing. But keep in mind it is not

necessarily about high-risk events, such

as terrorism, kidnapping, or natural disas-

ter. The most common incidents relate to

health issues and road accidents.” SR


SECURITY & KIDNAP

THE BUSINESS WORLD MAY

have got a taste of things to come

earlier this year when, on 16 Janu-

ary, heavily armed Islamist extremists

seized control of a gas plant in the Saha-

ran desert near In Amenas, Algeria,

taking more than 650 workers hostage –

among them American, British, Japanese,

French and Norwegian oil workers.

The Algerian authorities reacted

immediately and, for four days, gun bat-

tles raged around the complex as, little by

little, the military closed in.

The terrorists had apparently

wanted to blow up the plant. This plan

was, however, averted, as the Algerian

troops managed to regain control,

although at the cost of the lives of 37 of

the foreign hostages.

Executives across the world would

have been watching these events with

interest and concern. Numerous Western

companies have invested billions of dol-

lars in extraction facilities in the Maghreb

and West Africa. Until January, their

remote investments were considered to

be broadly safe, but this audacious attack

has shattered confi dence.

While the terrorists may have failed

with most of their objectives, their com-

mander, Algerian jihadist Mokhtar

Belmokhtar, has issued a wake-up call to

businesses with staff in the region.

In the a� ermath of the attack, Raf-

faello Pantucci, a senior fellow at the

Royal United Services Institute and the

author of the forthcoming We Love Death

As You Love Life: Britain’s Suburban Mujahe-

deen’ said: “The deadly operation further

highlights the direction that we are likely

to see Islamist terrorism continue to go in

over the next few years.”

Publicity stuntThe attack attempted to create publicity

for the terrorists’ cause. The target was

high profi le and emotional appeals by

the hostages were designed to attract

the attention of international media;

emerging hostages said they were told

to contact their families and embassies

to relay the terrorists’ demands with

explosives hanging around their necks.

These demands seemed to have been

deliberately impossible to fulfi l, and

included French withdrawal from Mali

and the release from US custody of inter-

national political targets such as the

Pakistani doctor Aifa Siddiqui and the

Egyptian ‘blind sheikh’ Omar Abdel

Rahman. Failure to deliver would have

presumably provided the pretext for an

explosive fi nale.

As expected, the world’s media were

following the events closely, and the

resulting publicity could only act as a

A deadly wake-up call

January’s attack on an Algerian gas plant may be the fi rst sign

of an increase in terrorist activity in this part of the world

06_09_Security_SRA5ExecTravel13.indd 6 22/04/2013 10:32


spur to the regional insurgency. Since

the 9/11 attacks on New York and Wash-

ington and the subsequent bombings in

London and Madrid, Europe and the US

have invested heavily in anti-terrorist

intelligence and policing, making the

West a more diffi cult environment to

conduct large terrorist attacks.

Ideological warIslamists still want to attack Western

interests for ideological reasons, however,

and have been searching for easier

targets, such as in North and West

Africa. Preventing attacks requires rapid

escalation of security. Energy analysts »

One insurer on the front line of staff safety in

Algeria was AIG, which was involved in getting

employees covered by its LifeLine Plus Group PA

and travel insurance out of the country, and back

home. “The recent Algerian situation highlighted a

need for the type of cover that we provide,” says

AIG senior vice-president, head of group accident

& health insurances Guy Wilson. “For a range of

companies, we helped their people based on the

compound in Algeria get back. We actually had

people from Travel Guard, our own assistance

provider, stationed at Gatwick airport for three

days, and they provided the appropriate liaison

with security consultants on the ground in Algeria

and the other companies involved for which AIG

provides cover, to make sure that people got back

and were looked a� er when they did get back into

the UK or their home country.”

While experts predict a rising intensity of

terrorist activity across north and west Africa,

Wilson believes companies operating in high-risk

environments across the world should reappraise

their insurance and security arrangements: “The

implications for companies operating in Algeria or

any of the countries where similar industries are

based – and that could be Africa or the Black Sea

and the Baltic States – the implications are that

terrorists have seen the opportunity to make a

mark by doing what they did in Algeria, and it

probably won’t be the last time that it happens.”

To provide appropriate cover, companies may

need to adapt what they are buying. “I don’t think

that businesses will necessarily fi nd it harder

to get cover,” says Wilson. “But they will have

to rethink the type of cover that they buy.

Traditionally, companies have looked into buying

cover that caters for the medical risks involved,

but now, in the light of what happened in Algeria,

they need to look far more closely at the security

side of things as well.” The situation on the

ground is changing rapidly, and smart companies

will need to move faster to keep up.

INSURANCE

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SECURITY & KIDNAP

AVOIDING KIDNAP: FIVE POINT PLAN

have described many oil and gas facilities

in the region as “absolutely naked” in

terms of security, and a signifi cant scale-

up is therefore taking place now.

But even a cursory glance at a map of

investments in the area reveals the extent

of the problem: Niger, Libya, Algeria, Chad

and Nigeria are vulnerable to spillover

from the confl ict with Islamists in north-

ern Mali, where tensions against the West

were exacerbated by the recent French-

led intervention. Moreover, the Nigerian

authorities are already fi ghting an inter-

nal confl ict against the violent Islamist

Boko Haram movement.

Niger – a major source of uranium for

nuclear power plants – is impoverished

and potentially volatile, while Libya, one

of Africa’s major oil and gas exporters and

home to signifi cant Western investments,

is still struggling to emerge from war and

is awash with weapons and Jihadi mili-

tias. For now, the situation is quiet. But

this may be just a pause as a new front

opens up in the developing global con-

frontation between the West and radical

political Islam. SR

‘The deadly operation further

highlights the direction that

we are likely to see Islamist

terrorism continue to go in

over the next few years’

Raff aello Pantucci Royal United

Services Institute

1 It is a vital to conduct a

full risk assessment for

every location – and it

should be considered a

‘live document’, constantly

updated as the situation on the

ground evolves. The corporate

approach to kidnap prevention should

be based on this, and it needs to

be communicated throughout the

organisation. From this overview,

risk managers can then move on to

consider specifi c individuals and areas

of business that need extra eff ort

and resources.

2 Train everyone – and

that means everyone.

Not only can training help

employees act correctly if

the worst happens, it also

boosts their confi dence and makes

them more eff ective in their work.

Initial training sessions need to be

followed up with regular briefi ngs

to guard against complacency

and, wherever relevant, staff need

appropriate hostile environment

and hostage survival training.

This will not only help them

develop practical skills, but also

a ‘survivor mentality’, by learning

techniques to understand and limit

the psychological eff ects of being

kidnapped – such as how trauma

aff ects the mind and body – as well

as being taught about what will be

happening to them: namely, the

phases of a kidnap, what support their

»



family will receive and what is likely to

be happening in the outside world.

3 Watch where you’re

going. When in-country,

it is vital to have eff ective

journey management.

Generally speaking,

residences and workplaces will be

safe and secure, and as a result

many kidnappers choose to target an

individual in transit between the two

points. However, much can be done to

lower this risk, even if it cannot be

totally eliminated.

First, choose appropriate, well

maintained vehicles. No one wants to

stop in the wrong location to change a

tyre or dig a rear wheel-drive car out of

the mud. In addition, in risky

environments, avoid fl ashy or expensive

vehicles and do not plaster transport

with corporate logos; choose something

that will blend in. Ensure you have the

right drivers, and train them. They need

to know their route and where the safe

havens are on that route. Finally, your

headquarters needs to know who is

in a vehicle and what route they

are taking.

4 Be aware.

Generally speaking, new

staff , fresh out of training,

will be vigilant and take

a lot of interest in their

surroundings. Over time, however, they

will inevitably become complacent and

take greater risks. This has to be

worked against. Personal awareness

is the key to security in a risky

environment and ongoing refreshment

training is essential.

Staff need to be aware of their

surroundings at all times and

constantly ask themselves whether

they notice anything unusual. Is

anyone acting strangely? Where are the

safe and dangerous areas? (This can

change rapidly street-to-street in many

cities.) Get used to making simple

safety tricks part of staff routing.

For example, always approach your

car, night or day, with the keys in your

hand ready to unlock the door. A few

moments of fi ddling in a bag or

briefcase could be all the opportunity

a kidnapper needs.

5 What happens when

things go wrong?

If the worst happens,

everyone needs to know

how to act. First, it

is essential to have a dedicated

emergency team with representatives

across security, risk, travel and human

resources. They need to be able to take

control and manage events while the

rest of the business carries on as usual.

To do this, it is vital to have a

regularly reviewed crisis management

plan that is ready to be implemented.

It is worth considering using a

specialist third-party consultant to

advise on this and, when once in place,

the plan should be fully embedded

into in-country management.



POLITICAL RISK

FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS

considering a trip to emerging

markets, it pays to read about the

situation in the country they are planning

to visit beforehand. “Political violence is

the most serious political risk facing busi-

ness travellers,” says Maplecro� senior

political risk analyst Charlotte Ingham.

“Many key emerging economies expe-

rience high levels of political violence,

a particular concern since, with the con-

tinued crisis in the eurozone and the

anaemic recovery in the US, many busi-

nesses are increasingly focusing on these

countries, either as a manufacturing base,

or because they are keen to take advan-

tage of the emerging consumer market in

these countries.”

According to Maplecro� ’s Political Vio-

lence Index 2013, the key growth markets

Into the danger zone

With stagnant growth in Europe and the US, many fi rms are turning to

emerging markets, where political unrest can o� en be a potential threat

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of Iraq, Colombia, Nigeria, India, Philip-

pines and Russia are ranked as “extreme

risk”, and Thailand, Turkey, Egypt, Ethio-

pia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia and

Peru are all categorised as “high risk”.

Disruption to businessIngham says: “Terrorism, or the risks

presented by outright confl ict, present

signifi cant challenges to businesses –

predominantly because it is imperative

that [the latter] fulfi l their duty of care

obligations to keep staff safe.

“However, demonstrations and other

manifestations of societal unrest not only

present a direct security threat owing to

the potential for violence, but even where

the threat of violence is lower, the disrup-

tion caused by such protests has the

potential to seriously disrupt business

operations. Demonstrations frequently

involve the blocking of roads, inhibiting

the ability of business travellers to attend

meetings or visit key sites.”

Further, politics can present a struc-

tural risk to business, particularly when a

government is unable or unwilling to

maintain a proper infrastructure in terms

of transport, communication facilities and

a reliable energy grid. “There are signifi -

cant ‘duty of care’ implications if staff are

unable to stay in touch,” says Ingham.

“They may be unable to summon assis-

tance if required, and it will be more diffi -

cult for their employers to ascertain their

location in the event of an emergency.”

In addition, the productivity of busi-

ness travel can be inhibited by insuffi cient

infrastructure: power cuts can stop lap-

tops from working, poor transport infra-

structure can disrupt or prolong travel

between meetings, and poor communica-

tions infrastructure can prevent travellers

conferring with their home offi ce. The

most serious infrastructure challenges are

clustered in Sub-Saharan Africa and South

and South-East Asia, with Nigeria, Bangla-

desh, India and Indonesia also high risk,

according to Maplecro� ’s Transport and

Communications Index 2013.

When trying to mitigate these risks,

managers should remember that political

risk can vary enormously between urban

and rural areas or diff erent districts, and

what can be relied on in the capital city

may not be available up-country. »


POLITICAL RISK

With the West African economy gen-

erally, and Ghana’s and Nigeria’s in par-

ticular, experiencing good growth, many

European investors would do well to

remember the region is a key political

risk hot spot for 2013.

“In much the same way as the confl ict

in Libya increased the risk of societal

forced regime change in Mali through the

provision of fi ghters and weapons, the

current crisis in Mali has the potential

to greatly undermine the security and

stability of surrounding nations,” says

Ingham. “A lack of state control across the

vast and sparsely populated Sahel region,

ensures there are numerous areas in

which militants can operate at little risk

of detection by security forces.”

In addition, high youth unemploy-

ment and political disillusionment across

the region have created a fertile recruit-

ing ground for radical movements, and

refugees from the confl ict in Mali are

putting pressure on already vulnerable,

unstable nations. In this rapidly changing

environment, political risk assessment

needs to be an ongoing process that takes

into account regional dynamics as well as

country-by-country intelligence.

Domino eff ectAs the hostage crisis at the In Amenas

refi nery in Algeria illustrated, events in

neighbouring nations, in this instance

Mali, can spread over borders.

“It is important not to view the politi-

cal risk level in isolation,” says Ingham.

“The wider risk profi le of a specifi c coun-

try must also be considered. A lack of

resilience means that countries with com-

paratively lower levels of risk such as con-

fl ict are nevertheless highly vulnerable

to external shocks, which means that the

situation may deteriorate rapidly.”

Such shocks include increased

resou rce insecurity, economic conta-

gion, an infl ux of refugees, or the

encroachment of militant groups from

surrounding countries. “In much the

same way that risk managers must take

the regional context into account how-

ever, it is equally important to examine

‘It is important not to view the

political risk level in isolation’

Charlotte Ingham Maplecro�

»

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variations within a country,” says

Ingham. “Subnational mapping of ter-

rorism risk, for example, illustrates how

in many key growth markets the risk is

largely specifi c to a certain location.”

Security forcesAlthough the presence of these groups

increases the risk across the entire

country, entrenched insurgencies may be

more likely to remain within a specifi c

geographic area, while emerging groups

are by their nature less predictable. But

it is not enough to merely look for

external risks in many ways. It is equally

important to scrutinise the risks

presented by your security arrangements.

“In terms of wider enterprise risk,

risk managers must also account for the

fact that, in addition to the physical

threat to personnel and assets posed by

political violence, there is also the risk of

complicity owing to the response of

security forces.”

If a company’s assets are protected

by domestic security forces subsequently

accused of human rights abuses, a danger

arises of reputational damage. Ingham

says: “This is especially the case in situa-

tions in which a government is perceived

to crack down on rights activists or politi-

cal reformists under the pretence of

anti-terrorism measures.” SR

Would you know what to do when

facing an angry crowd? Whether

in transit or at a remote facility

– even walking in a local bazaar –

encountering anger and aggression

is always a possibility.

Geopolitical events can escalate

local resentment. When Florida pastor

Terry Jones burnt copies of the Koran

in March 2011, protestors around the

world attacked Western targets,

including the UN Assistance Mission

in Mazar-i-Sharif, killing 30 people,

including seven UN workers and

injuring 150. Whatever the reason,

some rules should be followed.

“First, be aware of the people

you are travelling with,” says Charlie

McGrath, director of Objective Team

Risk, a fi rm running hostile

environment training courses.

“Know their temperaments. Are they

hot-headed? Calm? How do you think

they might react in a crisis? You need

to know who to keep an eye on.”

Also, you can take a few key steps

to dissipate confrontation. “To begin

with, learn to recognise the signs of

building anger,” says McGrath. “The

red face, the pacing, the gripping

hands, speaking louder and louder. If

someone does lose their temper: keep

calm. Allow individuals to vent. This

can be very hard. It can feel quite

unnatural to just soak up their anger

and not shout back, but it’s vital to let

them have their say. Don’t interrupt or

contradict them. Don’t tell them to

‘calm down’. If they push you, don’t

push back. If you can, keep your

distance. When they have had their

say, ask ‘what can I do to help?’”

MANAGINGCONFRONTATION

10_13_PoliticalRisk_SRA5ExecTravel13.indd 13 22/04/2013 10:34


TERRORISM

AS ILLUSTRATED BY ANDERS

Breivik on 22 July 2011 when

he killed 77 Norwegian civilians,

terrorism is, by its very nature,

un predictable. It’s hard for risk managers

to accurately measure the scale of the

threat, and o� en impossible to know in

advance what various groups or cells may

be planning.

Yet when it comes to business travel,

there are some destinations around the

world where there is clearly an increased

risk [see opposite], particularly North

Africa, Yemen, Iraq and Nigeria. “The

threat is less from al-Qaeda, which is in a

lot of trouble, and more from groups or

individuals inspired by al-Qaeda or

what it represents,” says University of Bir-

mingham senior lecturer in American

and Canadian studies Steve Hewitt, the

author of The British War on Terror: Terror-

ism and Counter-Terrorism on the Home

Front since 9-11.

“Statistically, Islamist terrorism is less

of a threat than ethno-nationalist terror-

ism. The diff erence is that Islamist vio-

lence tends to be more spectacular, with

higher loss of life,” he says.

A developing hot spotOne notable example of a rapidly devel-

oping hot spot is Nigeria, as shown by

February’s kidnapping and murder of

Key points

01: It is hard to

predict when

and where

terrorists might

strike, even in

hot spots

02: It helps to know

which

destinations

worldwide carry

an increased

danger

03: Nationality,

ethnicity,

religion, gender

and age can

contribute to a

traveller’s risk

profi le

Worst-case scenarioTerrorists may have surprise on their side,

but for the traveller a little planning can go

a long way to avoiding a nasty event

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seven foreign workers in Bauchi State

by the Islamist militant group Jama’atu

Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan

(known as Ansaru).

“Prior to this incident, Islamist terrorist

groups operating in the north – most nota-

bly Boko Haram – traditionally targeted

local political and religious leaders, as well

as members of the security forces, rather

than foreigners,” says Maplecro� senior


“This kidnapping was apparently carried

out in response to the actions of Western

forces in Mali and Afghanistan.”

Eighteen countries are at ‘extreme

risk’ of terrorism, according to

Maplecro� ’s Terrorism Risk Index

2013. Among these are key growth

markets that may become of interest

to many European fi rms, including

Iraq, Nigeria, the Philippines,

Colombia, Thailand, India, Turkey and

Russia. Meanwhile, Egypt, Peru,

Ethiopia and Indonesia are all

categorised as ‘high risk’.

“This should be qualifi ed by

noting, however, that terrorism risk

is rarely uniform across an entire

country,” says Maplecro� senior


“In Russia, for example, the risk

of terrorism is predominantly in

the North Caucasus. Despite this

geographic focus, however, militants

from the region have previously

launched attacks on both security

personnel and civilians in major

metropolitan areas, such as the attack

on Moscow’s Domodedovo airport in

2011, which le� 35 people dead.”

TERRORISMHOT SPOTS

»


TERRORISM

Although independent of Boko Haram,

Ansaru is thought to have ties to that

increasingly prominent extremist group.

Furthermore, Ansaru appears to focus less

on domestic political goals and more on

global jihad, indicating the potential

transnational threat posed by the group.

Almost all aspects of society are

potential terror targets, from schools

and hospitals to oil rigs and trains. But

transportation, and in particular air

travel, has long been a popular target.

Attacking corporate property, particu-

larly that belonging to multinationals

working in the defence industry, energy

or infrastructure, is also popular. But it’s

not just the risk of attack to life and prop-

erty that managers need to be aware of,

but the longer-term risk of instability that

can be caused by terrorist activity.

Undermining the state“The perception that a government and

its security forces are ineff ective at

combating terrorism may serve to under-

mine support for these institutions,” says

Ingham. “It is o� en the stated aim of ter-

rorist organisations to exacerbate exist-

ing tensions between ethnic, religious or

political groups.”

Attacks are o� en part of a plan to pro-

voke violent retaliation, in turn fomenting

instability and exacerbating underlying

tensions. “The result in such cases may be

‘Nationality, ethnicity, religion,

gender and age can all

contribute to a traveller’s

terrorism risk profi le’

Charlotte Ingham Maplecro�

»

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a new form of security risk that in many

regards is separate from the initial risk

from terrorism,” Ingham says.

Traveller-specifi c assessmentIt’s important to remember that the

actions of a traveller’s home government

can signifi cantly increase the level of

risk. “Carrying out traveller-specifi c risk

assessments may also be advisable,” says

Ingham. “Nationality, ethnicity, religion,

gender and age can all contribute to a

traveller’s [terrorism] risk profi le.“

When assessing terrorism as part of a

travel or investment plan, it’s important

that all involved have a good understand-

ing of this risks posed, but that they keep

these in perspective.

Illness and traffi c accidents are statis-

tically much more likely to pose a risk to a

traveller’s health and safety. But when

it does happen, terrorism can have a

spectacular impact and it is important to

prepare properly.

In known trouble spots, all buildings

and property should, where possible,

be protected by a ‘stand-off ’ – a security-

supervised control space that prevents

terrorists from getting close without

being challenged.

Buildings can be hardened with

window grills and glazing fi lms to mini-

mize injury from fl ying glass in the event

of a fi refi ght or explosion.

Visible guards, armed if necessary and

appropriate, also provide a deterrent. All

staff should be properly security trained

and made aware of risky areas and dates,

such as signifi cant political anniversaries

or elections.

But the bottom line is to never let

yourself be surprised: know where your

people are. Don’t be caught out chasing

travellers a� er an event. SR


EVACUATION

WHEN THE WORST COMES

to the worst and things go

wrong, you have to act quickly

and decisively to get your people out of a

danger zone. It could be a medical emer-

gency, a terrorist attack, a coup d’état or a

natural disaster, but whatever the event,

speed is your best defence.

Generally speaking, oil and gas com-

panies are very good at this as they are

well resourced. Extraction industries

have been working in remote, dangerous

and politically risky areas for decades.

But many small to medium-sized enter-

prises just don’t have the same resources.

Planning for an evacuation is a complex

job that requires managers from human

resources, occupational health and

safety, security and travel to all become

involved with, and thoroughly analyse,

the evacuation plan.

Creating your strategyFirst look at the risks on site: you need to

be able to maintain the security and

health of any staff until an evacuation

can take place. This means integrating

your security plan with your travel plan.

You should also make sure premises can

be eff ectively locked down and are

equipped with trained medical staff and

kit, such as defi brillators, to keep patients

healthy until they can be moved.

Unwell or otherwise

compromised staff will need

to be able to talk to their family

at home to reassure them

Key points

01: An evacuation

plan needs to

incorporate

security, medical

and transport

measures

02: Communication

is vital

throughout an

evacuation

03: Smaller fi rms

should

outsource

evacuation risks

to a third party

Exit strategy

Planning for an evacuation is a complex task that relies on a team of

experts to consider and prepare for a near-endless range of scenarios

You then need to look at how you’re

going to get your staff out, and where

you’re going to take them. Is it by road

and then helicopter to hospital facilities

and airports in a capital city? Or do you

need to get them out of the country

straightaway? Once you know this, you

need to look at the journey between the

site and the end destination. What are

the roads like? Does the route go through

high risk areas? If so, how can it be

adapted if the security situation has

deteriorated? Are there appropriate

vehicles available? If it’s a medical emer-

gency, are there local ambulances and

appropriate staff to get workers to a

helicopter evacuation point? If not, how

will you provide that service?

Keeping in touchThroughout an evacuation process, com-

munication is key. There may be multiple

languages used on site and staff with

18_19_Evacuation_SRA5ExecTravel13.indd 18 22/04/2013 10:36


Relations between the sexes may be

equal within a corporate structure

but, the reality is that in many

locations, women are at greater risk

than men from kidnap and assault.

Not only are women sometimes

perceived as easier targets that are

less likely to fi ght back, there can be

a sexual dimension to attacks. As

ever, risk mitigation begins with

preparation. Female travellers should

be aware of the position of women in

the country they are travelling to:

how are they regarded? In particular,

how are Western women perceived?

In many places, Hollywood

and internet pornography have

combined to create the popular

myth of the easy sexual availability

of women from Europe and the US.

What are the standards of dress

expected of women? Do these vary

in diff erent locations?

When out and about in mixed

environments be aware of the signals

you are giving out and be conscious

that these may be interpreted

diff erently in diff erent countries.

Trust your instincts. If things feel

wrong, they probably are: get out.

Above all, don’t get drunk and

make sure you always have safe

transport home.

Objective Team Risk director

Charlie McGrath says: “If a mixed

group of travellers is meeting up in

the evening in a bar or restaurant,

then the male members of the party

should make damn sure they are

there on time and don’t leave a

female colleague hanging around

on her own.”

WOMEN TRAVELLERS

appropriate language skills will need to

be available in the fi eld and at a fi rm’s

headquarters. Medical and security staff

will need to be able to communicate with

other site staff . Unwell or otherwise com-

promised staff will need to be able to talk

to their family at home to reassure them

and explain what is happening.

For businesses without the resources

of the largest multinationals – the cost of

an evacuation fl ight alone starts at about

£15,000 – by far the most sensible

approach to evacuation risk is to out-

source to a third party who can swing

into action when they are needed. SR

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INTERRUPTION & NAT CATS

APART FROM LOSS OF LIFE AND

damage to health, natural catas-

trophes can have a signifi cant

impact on the world’s delicately poised

transport networks. When the Icelandic

volcano Eyjafj allajökull roared to life on

14 April 2010, the whole world was forced

to listen.

The eruption created an ash cloud

that shut down most European airspace,

creating the highest level of air travel

disruption since the Second World War.

Almost every northern European airport

was shut from 15-20 April, with further

intermittent closures over the following

weeks. Overall, between 95,000 and

107,000 fl ights were cancelled, account-

ing for 48% of total air traffi c, and

roughly 10 million passengers.

If you were one of those passengers,

you are unlikely to forget the experi-

ence, and the quality of your insurance

will have had a massive impact on your

quality of life during the delay. And

Eyjafj allajökull, while exceptional, was

not unique: Tropical Storm Isaac pushed

back by a day August’s Republican

convention in Louisiana, while the Jap-

anese tsunami created a shock that was

felt by travellers across the globe.

Unfortunately, unlike medical or

security risk, no amount of pre-depar-

ture preparation can prevent natural

A recipe for disaster

Travelling without cover for natural catastrophes can be unnecessarily

costly and time-consuming if a worst-case scenario does occur

catastrophes from happening, and the

only protection for the business travel-

ler is excellent insurance. Delays can be

expensive and you need to be covered,

and have access to funds to pay for

extra hotel bills, new fl ight tickets or

alternative forms of transport, such as

train and rental cars. In the wake of the

disruption caused by Eyjafj allajökull,

many travellers were stranded for

weeks as airlines struggled to fi nd seats

for stranded passengers, while others

were forced to make long and costly

journeys overland.

Many fi rms now off er protection

against the high costs of delays caused by

natural catastrophes, and while the

chances of needing to call for assistance

may be slim compared to the risk of a

hotel burglary or a railway station pick-

pocket, you want to be absolutely sure

that the person at the other end of the

line can act quickly and decisively.

It’s important to check your policy

closely and read the small print. For

example, does your policy require events

such as travel disruption or missed con-

nections to be “named perils”? How does

it defi ne a natural disaster? How exten-

sive is the natural catastrophe cover? Are

you covered only if your destination is

aff ected, or locations en route? Is your

journey covered?

20_21_IntNatCats_SRA5ExecTravel13.indd 20 22/04/2013 10:36


away all the worry you experience when

an unforeseen problem occurs, knowing

that someone was working on my behalf

provided me with the peace of mind –

and time – to enable me to get on with

what I needed to do.” SR

‘They would phone me with

regular updates on my return

journey options’

Guy Wilson AIG

Objective Team Risk director Charlie

McGrath says it should be company

policy to always wear a seatbelt while

travelling. “It sounds so ridiculously

obvious, but in many countries belts

aren’t compulsory, and there can be

horrifi c accidents as a result: a bump

can result in major trauma without a

belt,” he says.

In some countries, taxi drivers

even remove belts as a statement of

self-confi dence in their driving. “Make

sure you know what a licensed cab

looks like,” says McGrath. “If possible,

get your offi ce or hotel to call you a

cab, as they will o� en have a

relationship with a reliable fi rm.”

Make sure you understand

roughly where you are going, how

much your journey will cost and, if

locally appropriate, agree the fare

before you set off . Women should sit

in the back seat away from the driver.

“Always check that a cab is for

you,” says McGrath. “Always ask, ‘Who

have you come for?’ rather than

giving them your name fi rst.”

If you travel by bus or train, pick a

busy carriage. Ensure you know your

timetable and where stations are in

terms of your destination. Carry the

correct change for your fares and a

charged mobile phone, and make sure

someone knows where you are going.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Since the Eyjafj allajökull ash cloud,

the business world has had time to

assess the eff ect of wide-ranging disrup-

tion, and specialist travel products are

o� en much clearer about what is cov-

ered. But it pays to check closely.

Beyond this, some insurance provid-

ers off er a service that will do the leg-

work and make sure you are back on the

move as soon as possible, while you get

on with the job in hand.

AIG senior vice-president and head

of group accident and health insurances

Guy Wilson says: “We have our own

assistance company called Travel Guard.

I have direct experience of how useful

they can be. I was in the US when the ash

cloud happened, and while I was carry-

ing on with meetings, they rearranged

my journey home as soon as the airlines

started fl ying again. They would phone

me with regular updates on my return

journey options. While they can’t take

20_21_IntNatCats_SRA5ExecTravel13.indd 21 22/04/2013 10:37


COMPLIANCE

QUITE SIMPLY, IT’S VITAL TO

have good quality cover,” AIG

Sweden head of consumer mar-

kets Johan Ryderberg says. “And that

means cover that is compliant across the

world. For so many reasons you must

chose your policy carefully. Not only do

you need to look a� er your staff and

your reputation as an employer, you

need to be seen to be doing this. If staff

feel like they are being looked a� er, they

will work better. If they don’t feel like

they are being looked a� er, they will be

looking for another job.”

Good cover means making sure you

have a policy that is compliant across the

world in every market you operate in, or

may operate in soon. “We’ve been doing

this since 2007,” Ryderberg says. “In

many ways the market is now catching

up, and we are seeing a big change. But

we are in the enviable position of having

the experience built-in.

“This is our advantage. AIG has a

Global cover

Firms must be compliant in every market

they operate in, so choosing the right

kind of business cover is vital

global footprint. We have local offi ces

across the world, which means that we

can write policies in-country.”

While many insurance providers

create their policies at a European head-

quarters, AIG does so on the ground with

the knowledge and experience to under-

stand what is needed. “This gives clients

“

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‘Clients understand why

compliance is crucial when

buying executive travel cover’

Johan Ryderber, AIG

a sense of control,” says Ryderberg.

“When we started out on this journey

back in 2007 we had to work hard to

explain to brokers and clients the impor-

tance of ensuring compliance, but we

don’t have to do that anymore. They

understand why compliance is crucial

when buying executive travel cover.” SR


LUGGAGE

LOSING YOUR LUGGAGE ISN’T

just an inconvenience, it can have

a dramatic impact on business

continuity. AIG France accident and

health manager Jean-Marie Guegan says:

“Insuring luggage properly should be

included in your business continuity

plan. If your laptop is in checked baggage

when you get on a plane and it doesn’t

appear on the carousel when you arrive,

what have you lost? What data is miss-

ing? You may not be able to do your job

and your trip is wasted.

“These days business continuity is on

everyone’s radar from a risk manage-

Lost and found

An employee’s luggage can be worth much more than the sum of its

contents, with serious implications for business continuity if it is lost

ment perspective; when we refl ect on

what happened with the Japanese tsu-

nami or Superstorm Sandy, for example,

business continuity plans are what keep

managers awake at night. But not enough

people are thinking about how luggage

factors into this.”

Guegan recommends that travellers

keep important business tools, such as

laptops, in cabin baggage where possible,

but accepts that this is not always an

option. “If not, make sure what is on your

hard drive is backed up somewhere else

accessible, whether that is on the cloud

on another drive,” he says.

Most travel insurance will cover any

emergency expenses relative to the

length of the delay before you can be reu-

nited with your luggage, usually on and

hour-by-hour basis. So, if you need a new

shirt and a shave for a meeting straight

off the plane, you are usually covered. In

addition, some fi rms will off er a service

that will do the leg-work to track down

where your bags have gone while you get

on with business as usual.

AIG senior vice-president and head of

group accident and health insurances

Guy Wilson says: “Our own assistance

company, Travel Guard, provides this

type of service.

“If you are on a business trip and your

bag goes astray, they will help fi nd it

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‘If your laptop is in checked

baggage and it doesn’t

appear, what have you lost?’

Jean-Marie Guegan AIG

Unfortunately, corruption is part of

daily life in many countries around

the world. While North Korea is still

offi cially considered the world’s most

corrupt country, according to

Transparency International’s 2012

Corruption Index, along with Somalia

and Afghanistan, the US has gone up

six points to 19th (out of 174), and the

UK’s score has worsened (now number

17). New Zealand, Denmark and

Finland share the number one spot as

the least corrupt. Of the BRIC nations,

Brazil is 69th out of 174, Russia is

133rd, India is 94th, and China is 80th.

With the UK Bribery Act 2010 in

place, corruption can no longer be

seen as simply the cost of doing

business abroad – in fact even third

parties paying bribes on your behalf

can now, theoretically, leave board

members facing jail.

So how can you reduce your risk as

a traveller? Objective Team Risk

director Charlie McGrath says: “Never

openly bribe anyone ever. If absolutely

essential let the other side ask.

Perhaps a soldier or policeman might

ask you for a ‘fi ne’ under some

frequently jumped-up circumstances.

They might also ask you to buy a

special license. Ultimately, having a

trusted local fi xer, as many journalists

do, can be a real help in getting

though these situations.”

Also, be aware that certain

circumstances pose a high risk of

corruption, for example, at a police or

military checkpoint in rural East

Africa, or at a quiet customs post.

Above all: don’t break the law. That

would invite trouble.

CORRUPTION

while you get on with what you have to

do. They will handle talking to the air-

lines and airport authorities on your

behalf, which can be a very time-

consuming process. And let’s face it, with-

out someone doing it for you, you will

have to do it for yourself.”

Getting full recompense for luggage

that has been lost can be a lengthy

ordeal. However, when bags are checked,

AIG in France off ers a service that means

any claims are settled immediately. “You

don’t have to provide evidence like

receipts and invoices,” says Guegan. “That

can be very useful for people in a hurry

who don’t want the hassle of a lengthy

claims process. What we are doing is

bringing our claims procedure closer in

line to what airlines off er.”

When it comes to luggage, make sure

you look a� er it and are well-covered;

a� er all, when it comes to business travel,

a bag is o� en much more than the sum of

its contents. SR

24_25_Luggage_SRA5ExecTravel13 copy.indd 25 22/04/2013 10:38


MEDICAL

FROM A HERNIA TO A HEART

attack, healthcare can be more

than a headache when travelling

on business if you don’t plan ahead, take

precautions, and have the right back-up

in place if things go wrong.

Before you goIt’s a cliché, but it’s true: prevention really

is better than cure. When preparing staff

to travel abroad, it’s important to make

sure that you have thoroughly examined

the risks posed by endemic diseases and

ensured that they have all necessary

vaccinations and prophylactic medicines,

particularly for malaria.

It’s also important to make sure that

any medicines that are needed by staff are

taken in luggage, and that any potential

delays are factored in. Experts recom-

mend that travellers take double what is

needed: eight days’ supply instead of four,

for example. Also, some countries are

quite jumpy about travellers bringing

medicines, so it’s useful to have both a

copy of your prescription and a letter from

your doctor to explain why you need it.

Employers should also take account

of the age and medical profi le of the

staff member travelling. Do they have

any chronic conditions such as diabetes

or hypertension? How are these man-

aged? Older travellers need special

Key points

01: Pre-travel

preparation

is key

02: Understand

the locations’

unique risks

and health

care systems

03: Have a

continuity plan

in case an

employee falls

ill while abroad

In sickness and in health

Employees may become unwell or injured when travelling abroad,

but the right preparation and planning can help mitigate the risks

consideration. When over 50, the risk of

a medical emergency becomes greater,

with some studies suggesting the risk

can be as much as 400% higher.

Managers also need to look at the

health infrastructure in-country: are

screened blood products available? Are

appropriate drugs available? Counterfeit

drugs are increasingly a problem; in

some areas, up to one-third of drugs are

counterfeit and, if prescribed, can do

more harm than good.

And don’t forget teeth. A dental

emergency is an o� en-overlooked risk

when it comes to foreign travel, but a

thorough check-up before fl ying can

prevent a costly and debilitating

experience while away.

While you are thereLook at the unique risks of each journey.

It’s one thing to be attending a trade

show in Singapore or Shanghai, and

another thing altogether to visit a

remote mining project in an isolated

corner of the Democratic Republic of

Congo. Even within countries there can

be vast disparities in care, and fi rms

o� en overlook this when dispatching

staff or changing their itinerary while

they are in-country.

In remote areas, a minor complaint

can rapidly escalate into an emergency. »

26_29_Medical_SRA5ExecTravel13.indd 26 22/04/2013 10:39


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MEDICAL

For example, in many equatorial coun-

tries, having access to a quick-test

malaria kit can prove the diff erence

between diagnosing a dose of the fl u

and a much more serious complaint

that needs urgent medical attention.

But it’s not all about getting ill. Health

and safety is also important. Trips and

falls in remote areas can cause real prob-

lems if on-site medical care is poor, and a

good triage facility can make all the dif-

ference between a bandage and getting

back to work, and an expensive airli�

home. On large sites, it may be worth

building a clinic for all staff .

Taking an upfront approach to sexual

health is also important. Education and

prevention is key here, as human nature

being what it is, staff can get into trouble

if they are not thinking carefully.

Talk to your staff . Communication is

vital. If possible, take advantage of travel-

ler tracking technology, as well as mobile

communications, to make sure you know

where your staff are. Also ensure that the

travellers themselves have access to sup-

port, primarily telephone access to

trained staff – there are excellent third-

party fi rms providing this service – and

also someone with emergency skills and

location awareness, if necessary.

If you fall ill It’s also vital for risk managers to

consider the health infrastructure of a

staff member’s destination and prepare

appropriately, whether this means

ensuring correct documentation,

appropriate travel insurance, or the

ability to wire cash quickly.

A varied response is necessary

because healthcare provision is by no

means a universal experience. It’s not

just a simple equation of developing

countries having poor healthcare and

richer countries having excellent facili-

ties; how you pay, and how much, is

key. For example, in the oil-rich Gulf

‘If someone has to go home,

we can pay for someone else

to go out and pick up the sick

person’s workload’

Jean-Marie Guegan AIG

»

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nations of Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Saudi

Arabia and Dubai, there is no healthcare

without comprehensive medical insur-

ance. In Dubai, foreigners can’t even

access emergency treatment without full

health cover, and in Saudi Arabia, fi rms

can be fi ned and banned from recruiting

if they don’t provide insurance.

Whereas, in Australia, state Medi-

care covers longer-term expats for 100%

of in-patient services and about 75% of

doctors’ charges. In Europe, theoreti-

cally all EU citizens should have even

access to government-subsidised care.

But increasingly, cash-strapped Medi-

terranean nations are getting tough on

foreigners requesting medical help. For

example, in Spain, pharmacies may

charge a foreigner up to 400% more for

prescription medicines, even those

supplied under Europe’s health card.

Some doctors in India and Latin

America require cash deposits or even

full payment before they will treat you.

In terms of cost, hospital care is most

expensive in China and Hong Kong, and

it’s worth remembering that hospital

costs in the US could ruin anyone without

full insurance.

There also remain countries, espe-

cially in Africa, where healthcare is

almost universally bad, even with good

insurance. If travelling there, especially

off the beaten track, all you can do is

make sure you have done all you can to

prevent illness before you travel, ensure

you have rapid medevac cover at the

end of a phone, take as many preventa-

tive measures on-site as possible – and

cross your fi ngers.

Continuity plansOf course, the fi rst priority is always the

health and safety of executives but,

when that is dealt with, it’s important

to remember they are there for a reason

and think about how to maintain

business continuity in the event of a

medical evacuation.

AIG accident and health manager for

France Jean-Marie Guegan says: “We have

a policy that means that, in the event of

someone having to go into hospital or go

home, we can pay for someone else to go

out and pick up the sick person’s workload.

“This is really appreciated by our cli-

ents. For example, in logistics, fi rms

operate to very tight deadlines. What if

a driver has to be in Athens by noon but

gets sick en-route in Slovakia? Poten-

tially, you could have a truck not only

running late, but loaded with a cargo

that could be rapidly spoiling and a

client le� without supplies. In this case

we can swing into action and keep

things moving.” SR

26_29_Medical_SRA5ExecTravel13.indd 29 22/04/2013 10:39


CHECKLIST

1How are you feeling?

Before you head abroad, it

makes good sense to get a

medical check-up. If you

have any longstanding

complaints, such as high blood

pressure or heart disease, it is well

worth getting yourself checked by a

doctor – and make sure you tell him

where you are going. No one wants a

serious condition to fl are up while

visiting a remote rig in Nigeria. Also,

make sure you have had any

vaccinations, and boosters, that are

recommended for your destination.

Get – and make sure you actually take

– any malarial prophylactic that is

prescribed. And have a dental check-up

– toothache can be utterly debilitating

and good dental treatment hard to

come by in many destinations.

2 Back up

Don’t forget to look a� er

your data. It’s easy to

forget how business-

critical those presentation

tiles and spreadsheets are. Laptops,

USB drives and other external

hardware are vulnerable to the� , loss

and environmental damage from

water, sand or humidity. The last thing

you want is to face a client without the

tools to do your job properly. The best

thing to do is treat your hardware like

cash: keep back-ups in the hotel safe.

Also, use the cloud. Then if the worst

happens, all you need is an internet

connection and you’re up and running.

3 Make sure you’re covered

Check over your insurance

cover. Make sure you have

the best. If it’s a company

policy, ensure you have

updated the provider with any medical

conditions or other factors that might

aff ect your cover. No one like surprises

in an emergency.

4 Do you know where

you’re going?

It sounds obvious, but

make sure you know where

you are going before you

leave. In the modern world it’s easy to

get on a plane and in a few hours be

somewhere utterly diff erent. Do you

know what to expect when you leave

the airport? Women in particular

should be aware that they may be seen

very diff erently in some parts of the

world, and may have to act

appropriately to stay safe. In the most

challenging destinations consider

hiring a trusted in-country fi xer to help

you navigate potentially diffi cult and

time-consuming aspects of travel, such

as local security arrangements and

other bureaucracies.

5 Moscow is not Russia and

Beijing is not China

Be aware that geography is

a major variable when it

comes to travel risk.

Whether you’re looking at political risk,

security, terrorism, infrastructure –

particularly transport and medical

No executive

is above

misfortune.

But there are

10 steps you

can take

to avoid

the worst

30_32_Checklist_SRA5ExecTravel13.indd 30 22/04/2013 10:40


infrastructure, but also internet access

and communication – the situation can

vary enormously within a single

country, especially a huge country such

as China or Russia. You may be able to

expect great hospitals and superfast

internet in a capital city, but the

situation up-country may be the exact

opposite. Similarly, terrorism,

insurgency and crime may present

a diff erent profi le in diff erent areas.

Do your research.

6 Be alert

Whether in your hotel, a

restaurant, a bar, or on a

train, it pays to be alert. If

you’re an old hand, it’s easy

to be complacent, but look out for

strangers and anyone acting

suspiciously – listen to your instincts.

Be aware of your surroundings. Are you

suddenly alone in a subway car? Where

are your bags? Women in particular

should keep an eye on their drinks in

public bars and everyone on a trip

should watch each other’s backs. Don’t

get drunk.

7 Get it seen to

If you feel unwell, try to

avoid self-treating,

particularly if you have a

fever. A simple stomach

upset is to be expected in many places,

but anything more serious should be

fl agged up to a medic, whether in

person or over the phone to a

dedicated service (o� en included in


CHECKLIST

your insurance cover). If you don’t,

there is the potential for serious

conditions to rapidly escalate and you

could face evacuation when a few

antibiotics would have done the job.

8 Are you indispensable?

If you are, what happens if

you get ill? Can one of your

fellow travellers pick up

your meetings? Does your

insurance cover include fl ying out a

replacement member of staff to

handle things on your behalf? If not,

you could be looking at a wasted trip, a

lost contract or a serious delay in

progressing your plans.

9 Exit strategy

If the worst happens and

you need to leave the

country, how are you going

to do it? A medical or

security emergency could mean you

need to get home fast, but just how

you manage that can vary enormously.

On a sales trip to a foreign capital, this

might simply involve a taxi to the

airport. But if you are in a remote area

with poor infrastructure, things might

be much more tricky? Does your

company have an evacuation plan that

takes account of local road and security

conditions? Do they have access to the

staff and equipment needed to

stabilise a patient en route to a

hospital or airport?

10 Travellers’

tales

When you

get back,

feed back.

Experience is a valuable source of

intelligence and, if you have any advice,

recommendations or warnings that

could help those who follow you, make

sure you communicate it. Old hands of

executive travel may have a

tremendous reservoir of knowhow that

they take for granted, so talk to them

before you go on your trip.

IBC_SRA5ExecTravel13.indd 1 22/04/2013 10:41

Bring on tomorrow.

Bring on global business travel. Bring on unseasonable snow and ice, ash clouds and dangerous locations. We’re ready and waiting. We’re a leading global insurer servicing over 88 million customers worldwide. Across Europe our Group Personal Accident, Emergency Medical and Business Travel teams are focused on what we do best: Insuring individuals as they travel the globe for their own businesses.

Today we are the new AIG, and we can’t wait for tomorrow.

Visit www.aig.com

AIG Europe Limited is registered in England: company number 1486260. Registered address: The AIG Building, 58 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4AB

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